Production of a copolymer monohydric phenol-dihydric phenol-aldehyde resin in the presence of an alkaline catalyst



Patented Oct. 3, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRODUCTION OF A COPOLYMER MONOHY- DRIC PHENOL-DIHYDRIC PHENOL-ALDE- HYDE RESIN IN THE PRESENCE OF AN ALKALINE CATALYST Philip 11. Rhodes, Butler, Pa., assignor, by meme assignments, to Koppers Company, Inc., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application September 1, 1945, Serial No. 814,098

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to the manufacture of copolymer, permanently fusible,

monohydric phenol-dihydric phenol-aldehyde.

resorcin. Such references are found in British Patent No. 530,934, the Kessler U. S. Patent No. 1,889,751, and Novotny U. S. Patent No. 1,802,390. However, the methods set forth in these various patents are not applicable to the commercial production of permanently fusible, copolymer, monohydric phenol-dihydric phenol-aldehyde resins. British Patent No. 350,934 discloses the production of a resin by taking a 50% solution of a phenol-formaldehyde resin and addingto it resorcin and paraformaldehyde together with a coloring material. It is pointed out that the ratio of the resorcinol to the formaldehyde is 1:1,said ratio being the ratio necessary to produce a heat reactive and not a permanently fusible resin.

After the alcoholic solution of the phenol-formaldehyde resin, resorcin, paraformaldehyde and coloring material is prepared, it is introduced into a quantity .of wood flour and mixed for a period of 2 hours Then the impregnated mass is airdried or vacuum-dried at room temperature until 2 catalyst. It is stated that the amount of aldehyde used may be varied within wide limits. depending on the nature of the finished resin that is desired. For more fusible and soluble resins it is stated that the amount of aldehyde used may 'be less than equi-molecular proportions. Kessler proceeds to state that where resins are desired which are to be finally condensed into hard, insoluble and infusible condensation products, equimolecular or greater than equi-molecular proportions of aldehyde may be used. However, the Kessler patent does not disclose a precise or operable example for the manufacturing of resins I from phenol and resorcin with aldehydes. When this method is tried in the laboratory it is noted that the resorcin reacts with the major proportion of the aldehyde, resulting in a set-up, resorcin-formaldehyde resin having interspersed therein a considerable amount of free phenol and free formaldehyde. This will occur regardless of the type of catalyst employed or regardless of the amount of aldehyde involved. The product produced by the Kessler disclosure is not a copolymer, permaently fusible, monohydric phenol- 25 dihydric phenol-aldehyde resin such as that set the solvents have been eliminated. Following the drying operation the mixture is rolled two or three times at 120, ground, sifted and mixed with an additional quantity of paraformaldehyde. The product so produced is a heat reactive product and not a permanently fusible product. In addition the reaction product is not a copolymer resorcin phenol resin but rather a phenol resin having interspersed therein what is' apparently a preliminary partial condensation product between resorcin and paraformaldehyde. A prodnet of this nature is quite unlike the homogeneous mass of copolymer, permanently-fusible resin produced in accordance with thepresent invention. l e Kes 'er in U. S. Patent No. 1,889,751 sets forth a very broad disclosure comprising mixing phenol and resorcin by mutually dissolving them in each other, following which the mixture of phenols is reacted upon by aldehydes with or without a basic forth in the-present invention.

Novotny in U. S. Patent No. 1,802,390 discloses a number oi resorcin-phenol-aldehyde resins, all

of which are heat reactive and none of which are permanently fusible, brittle, copolymer products.

-It was observed when the Novotny reactions were run in the laboratory that in each case the reaction wasimpossible to control and the resulting product rapidly went to a rubbery, setup mass, entirely useless for the purposes set forth in the present application. 1

Thus it is quite clear that-the Novotny resins are not brittle, .copolymer, fusible resins such as those produced in accordance with the present .always a gelled-up, useless mass similar to those produced in the prior art methods herein repossible to produce permanently fusible, brittle, conolymer, monohydric phenol-dihydric phenolaldehyde resins of homogeneous character and reproducible chemical and physical properties.

The present invention is directed to the production ofa permanently fusible copolymer monohydric phenol-dihydric phenol-aldehyde resin comprising heat-forming in the presence of an alkaline catalyst an undehydrated reaction product of a monohydric phenol, as for example, phenol per se CsHsOH and 'a resin forming aldehyde, separately heat-forming an undehydrated primary reaction product of a dihydric phenol and a resin-forming aldehyde, and mixing said primary reaction products, the molar ratio of the aldehyde reactants in the mixture to the total phenolic contents of the mixture being maintained to produce a permanently fusible resin. The mixture is then heated to effect inter-condensation of the primary monohydric phenolaldehyde condensation product with the primary dihydric phenol-aldehyde condensation product and to produce a substantially homogeneous undehydrated liquid resin. The resulting liquid resin mass is then dehydrated and further condensed to produce a substantially anhydrous copolymer condensation product. The production of the primary reaction products is preferably effected under reflux conditions and after the primary condensation products are mixed, further heating of the mixture is preferably effected under reflux temperatures and conditions for a suitable period of time until the mixture is substantially free of uncombined aldehyde.

It is well-known in the art, in order to produce a permanently fusible resin, that the molar ratio of the aldehyde reactants in the mixture to the total phenolic reactants in the mixture must be less than one of the former to one of the latter.

More specifically, in accordance with the present invention, a monohydric phenol and a resinforming aldehyde are heat reacted in the presence of an alkaline catalyst and preferably under reflux temperatures and conditions. Separately there is dissolved a dihydric phenol in a resinforming aldehyde and the ratio of the latter to the former is maintained to produce a permanently fusible resin. The resulting liquid solution is then heated to form a primary dihydric phenol-aldehyde condensation product. The two primary condensation products are then mixed and heated to effect inter-condensation of said primary condensation products and to produce a substantially homogeneous undehydrated liquid resin. The latter mass is then dehydrated and further condensed to produce a substantially anhydrous copolymer condensation product.

There may be substituted for the dihydric phenol a trihydric phenol, such as phloroglucinol.

The present invention will be specifically illustrated by the following examples:

of said phenols in the phenolic body of the resin The following ingredients lowing proportions:

280 grams of phenol (U. S. P. crystals) 165 grams of 37 96 formaldehyde v 6 grams of sodium hydroxide grams of water are mixed in the fol- The phenol is melted in a reaction kettle and then formaldehyde is introduced therein followed by the addition of the sodium hydroxide which has been previously dissolved in water. Under agitation the mixture is gradually heated to reflux and maintained there until the formaldehyde is substantially completely reacted with the phenol to form a primary undehydrated phenolaldehyde condensation product.

Separately 2970 grams of resorcin are dissolved in 1485 grams of 37% formaldehyde solution in a second reaction kettle. Heat is applied radually to prevent any,sudden exothermic reaction. Ai'ter solution occurs, heating is continued until an exothermic reaction is initiated, which usually occurs at a temperature between C. to 0. Obviously, the temperature at which the exothermic reaction will occur will depend to some extent on the character of the reacting constituents and other physical conditions thereof. At the conclusion of the exothermic reaction,'the resulting hot liquid resin solution is added gradually to the phenol-formaldehyde undehydrated primary condensation product. During the addition, the contents of the reaction kettle are maintained at reflux. The latter varies usually from about 95 C. to 102 C. After the resorcin-formaldehyde primary condensation product has been added to the phenolaldehyde condensation product present in the first reaction kettle, the contents thereof are maintained under reflux conditions for a. period of time sufllcient to assure the inter-condensation of the primary phenol-formaldehyde condensation product with the primary resorcinformaldehyde condensation product. When using the above set forth quantities of reactants,

usually about 15 to 30 minutes additional refluxing is desirable. This time limit is merely illustrative and is not by way of limitation. The final refluxing period should be sufllcient, as stated, to effect inter-condensation of the primary condensation products and produce a substantially homogeneous liquid resin. The completion of the inter-condensation, step is usually evidenced, by the substantially complete absence of any free formaldehyde.

Thereafter, the inter-condensation product is subjected to distillation for the purpose of removing the water present in the condensation products and to eflect further condensation and polymerization of the initial inter-condensation product. The distillation is preferably, although not necessarily, effected at atmospheric pressure until a substantial proportion, as-for example, to of the water present in the intercondensation product is removed. Preferably, a major portion of the water is removed by the time the temperature of the reaction mass reaches so about C. to about C. The temperature of the reaction mass continually increases from reflux temperature to about the range set forth as water is removed. Thereafter, removal of the major portion of the water is effected under vacuum distillation, said distillation also functioning to remove any unreacted material. or materials, including phenol. By the time that the water has been substantially completely removed from the copolymer reaction product, the temperature of the molten mass has reached C. to about C. at a vacuum of 26 to 28 inches, the vacuum building up from zero as the distillation progresses.

Thereafter, the moltenliquid material is removed from the reaction kettle and permitted to a cool to-thereby form a clear, brittle, permanently fusible copolymer phenol-resorcin-formaldehyde resin. As well known in the art, for the production of a permanently fusible phenol-aldehyde resin it is necessar that the molar ratio of the phenol to the aldehyde be less than 1 mole of the aldehyde foreach; mole of the phenolic body, the latter including, in the example given, both the phenol and resorcin. i v

The resin produced "in accordance with the above example evidenced a softening point' -of 109.5 (2'. when tested on a variably heated copper bar. The resin showed no detectable free phenol.

and containedlessthan .5 of 1% of moisture when tested inaccordance with the standard A.S.T. M.method..

In. theiabove example, the molar ratio of the there is added to the resorcin 500 grams or 31% formaldehyde. Heating is gradually applied with agitation until an exothermic reaction occurs.

Thereafter the temperature of the resulting re-- action mixture is raised to reflux temperature,

' and 325 grams of 37% formaldehyde is gradually added while maintaining a reflux temperature. There is thereby produced a primary undehydrated resorcin formaldehyde condensation product. This product is preferably maintained in the kettle at a temperature which adapts it to be pumped, as for example, the temperature varying between 90 C. and 100 C.

The resorcin-formaldehyde condensation product is then gradually added to the phenol-formal- 5 dehyde condensation product present in the first formaldehyde to the phenol is less than 1:1, and

the molar-ratio of the formaldehyde to the resorcin is less than 1:1. In the example given,

reaction kettle, 'thefaddition being preferably eilected while the phenol-formaldehyde condensation productis'maintained ata reflux temperthe molar ratio of the formaldehyde to the phenol isapproxima'tely 2 :3, .orstated differently, .67:l, whereby a permanently fusible'resin is produced.

In Example I the ratio of the formaldehyde to the resorcin is also less than 1:1, it being .6'7:l. These ratios are merely exemplary, it being within'the scopeof the present invention to prepare the'monohydric phenol-aldehyde condensation product, inyvhich the ratio of the aldehyde to the phenol may vary from as low as'.5:1 to as high .as 1.5:1. The .ratio of .the resorcin to the formaldehyde. in the separately prepared permanentlyfusible' condensation product may vary from somewhat below .5.-to 1 of the aldehyde to about .29 ;to 1"-o f the-resorcin The above is subject to the limitatlon that when the two primary liquid reaction-"products are mixed with each other and prior to dehydration, the molar ratiov of the aldehyde m the mixture to the total phenolic reactants in the mixture, including phenol and resorcimis less than 1 of the formaldehyde orother. aldehyde to less than 1 of the phenolic. constituents, including both phenol and resorcin. Statedmore broadly, in the final mixture prior to dehydration, the ratio of the aldehyde, as for example formaldehyde, to the total monohydric and dih'ydric phenolic bodies present in the mixture must be less than 1 of the aldehyde to 1 ofthe total phenolic body so as to produce as. -a ,fln'al product a permanently fusible copolymer monohydric .phenol-dihydric phenolaldehyderesin.

XAMP E 11 Production of a resin, the phenolic body of iohich contains 50% monohydric phenol and 50% dihydric'p'henol taken on a molar basis An undehydrated reaction product of phenol and. formaldehyde is produced by reacting the following ingrediei ts;.

1560 grams of 90% aqueous phenol solution 825 grams 37% formaldehyde 28 grams sodium hydroxide j 100 grams of water ature. Theinter condensation of these two components, and subsequent dehydration is effected in a manner similar to-that set i'orth Example I.

The product produced is a brittle, permanently fusible copolymer phenolresorcin-formaldehyde resin having a softening point on the copper bar of 107.5 C. The resin shows no detectable free phenol and has less than .5 to-1% of moisture.

Production of a resin,'the phenolic body of which contains 90% phenol-and 10% resorcin taken on a molar basis k An undehydrated reaction product is produced by reacting-the following ingredients:

2538 grams U. S. P. phenol crystals 1485 grams 37% formaldehydesolution grams sodium hydroxide 200 gramsoi' water. I

The phenol and formaldehyde is reacted as set forth in. Example I to produce a primary undehydrated phenol-aldehyde condensation product.

In the above, the molar-ratio of the formaldehyde'to the phenol is .67 1, and produces a permanently'fusible resin.

To the kettle, containing the primary undehydrated phenol-formaldehyde condensation product there is added a resorcin-aldehyde condensation product produced inv the following manner. First, into a separate reaction kettle there is introduced 330 grams. of resorcin, 200 grams of water, and. grams of 37% formaldehyde. The mixture is graduallyheated to reflux temperature. The time of heating may vary considerably. It is only necessary to heat these ingredients to reflux temperature before the mixture is ready to use. After heating, the resorcinformaldehyde condensation product is added to the kettle containing the undehydrated primary phenol-formaldehyde condensation product in the same manner as in the previous two examples. Thereafter, the mixture is refluxed and dehydrated as set forth in Examples I and II to thereby produce a brittle, permanently fu ible co olymer monohydric phenol-dihydric phenolaldehyde resin.

The softening point of the so-produced resi is 97 C. The resin contained less thanl5 of 1% of free henol and less than .5 of 1% of water.

The final copolymer resin is substantially anhydrous and usually contains less than 25% to .5% of water although in some cases the water may be as high as 1%.

a 7; While phenol (CeHsOI-I) has been ,set forth as an example of a monohydric phenol which may be condensed with formaldehyde to'form the While resorcin has been set forth as an example of a dihydric phenol, itis to be understood thatin the examples given the resorcin may be substituted by other dihydric phenols including catechol, hydroquinone, orcin, and the like. In the examples given, for the dihydroxy phenols of which resorcin is exemplary, there may be substituted a trihydroxy phenol such as phloroslucincl.

Instead of using formaldehyde as the resinforming aldehyde for themonohydric phenol or the dihydric phenol, other resin-forming prior art aldehydes may be'used such as acetaldehyde,

propyl aldehyde, butyl aldehyde, furfuraldehyde,

and the like. Dialdehydes may also be used such as glyoxal. Instead of using a single aldehyde a mixture of aldehydes may be used.

While the reaction between the monohydric phenol and the aldehyde is carried out in the examples given in the presence of sodium' hydroxide as the catalyst, it is within the province of the present invention to use other alkaline catalysts such as potassium hydroxide, barium hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, ammonium hydroxide; and amines such as triethanol amine,.

ethylene diamine, and the like. Commercial triethanol amine is an impure product containing a certain proportion of di and mono ethanol amine.

Other alkaline catalysts which may be used are the alkaline salts as for example, sodium, potassium, or lithium carbonates, tribasic sodium phosphate and the like which are usually used as alkaline catalysts in the production of thermosetting resins. v

Although. no catalysthas been set forth for use in catalyzing 'thedihydroxy phenol-aldehyde reactions, both acidic and alkaline catalysts may be employed as is well known, it being pointed out that the prior art has established that no catalyst is necessary for the'initiation of reaction between resorcin and formaldehyde.

In the examples given the amount of sodium hydroxide functioning as the catalyst is around 2% taken 'on the weight of the monohydric phenolic body. However, this may vary. considerably depending on the alkaline strength of the catalyst employed. In general, it is necessary that sumcient catalyst be employed to form the primary condensation product in which the p used'inanamcunt ttosetandharden the resin product; In general, the amount of setting agent used mayvary from 5% or 6% to ashigh as 50%. taken on the weight of the copolym'er resin. However, usually thepercentage varies between about 5% and 30%.

The copolymer monohydric phenol-dihydric phenol-aldehyde permanently fusible resin may be used in connection with a setting or hardening agent in any of the arts wherein thermo-setting resins have been hitherto employed, as for example, in the manufacture of laminates, molded articles, finishes, coatings, castings, adhesives, abrasives, and'the like.

The amount of the monohydric phenol and dihydric phenol present in the copolymer phenolic resin body may vary from 99% of one to 1% of the other, and 1% of one to 99% of the other.

It is desired to point out that using the resin produced in accordance with Example II, room temperature setting adhesives may be made therefrom by dissolving the resin in suitable prior art solvents such as ketones, alcohols and'alco hols in water. The most suitable alcohols are the loweraliphatic alcohols up to propyl alcohol. The ketones which are most suitable are the lower alkyl ketones such as acetone and methylethyl ketone. The resins are dissolved in solvents of the above character and the pH is adjusted to a range of about 7 to about 9, and upon the addition of a setting agent such as paraformaldehyde or equivalents, the resulting mixture will harden at room temperature, that is, from about 40 F. to 100 1''. What is claimed is:

'1. The method of producing a permanently fusible copolymer monohydric phenol dihydric phenol-aldehyde resin comprising heat-forming tive group: dratedprimary reactionproduct of a polyhydric nol, cresol, xylenol and cresylic acid, and an alde-v hyde in which the aldehyde group is the sole reacseparateiy heat-forming an undehyphenol selected from the group consisting of resorcin, catechol, hydroquinone, orcin and phloroglucinol, and an aldehyde in which the formaldehyde is substantially completely reacted and/or hardened with a reactive methylene-contaming setting or hardening agent as for example, hexamethylenetetramine, paraform, formaldehyde or any formaldehyde-liberating polymer or homolog of formaldehyde. Methylol compounds such as dimethylol urea, dimethylolthiourea, dimethyloi, trimethylol and polymethylol melamines, and other reactive methylol compounds may be used. a

The setting and/or hardening agents must be aldehyde group is the sole reactive grou mixing said reaction products, the aldehyde reactants in I the mixture being-in the ratio to the total phenolic contents 'of the mixture to produce apermanently fusible resin, heating the mixture and effecting inter-condensation of the primary monohydric phenol aldehyde condensation product with the polyhydric phenol-aldehyde condensation product and producing asubstantially homogeneous undehydrated liquid resin, and dehydrating and further condensing said iiquidresin to produce a substantially anhydrous permanently fusible copolymer condensation product.

- 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the monohydric phenol is selected from the group consisting of phenol, cresol, xylenol and cresylic acid and the polyhydric phenol is reaorcinol.

3. The product of the method of claim 2.

4. The product of the method of claim 1.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the monohydric phenol is phenol and the polyhydric phenol is resorcinol.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the aidehyde is formalde e.

'1. The method of producing a permanently 7s mime opolymer monohydric phenol dihydric phenol-aldehyde resin comprising heat-forming in the presence of an alkaline catalyst an undehydrated reaction product of a monohydric phenol selected from the group consisting of phenol. cresol, xylene] and cresylic acid, and formaldehyde; separately heat-forming an undehydrated primary reaction product of resorcinol and formaldehyde, mixing said reaction products, the formaldehyde reactants in the mixture being in the ratio to the total phenolic contents or the mixture to produce a permanently fusible resin, heating the mixture and effecting inter-condensation oi the primary monohydric formaldehyde condensation product with the resorcinol-aldehyde condensation product and producing a substantially homogeneous undehydrated liquid resin, and dehydrating and further condensing said liquid resin to produce a substantially anhydrous .10 permanently fusible copolymer condensation product. I

8. The method or claim 1 in which the heatforming'reaction for the production of each phenol-aldehyde reaction product and the heating of the mixture of said reaction products are effected under reflux conditions.

PHILIP H. RHODES.

REFERENCES crrnn The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 Number Name Date 1,802,390 Novotny Apr. 28, 1931 1,889,751 Kessler Dec. 6, 1932 

1. THE METHOD OF PRODUCING A PERMANENTLY FUSIBLE COPOLYMER MONOHYDRIC PHENOL DIHYDRIC PHENOL-ALDEHYDE RESIN COMPRISING HEAT-FORMING IN THE PRESENCE OF AN ALKALINE CATALYST AN UNDEHYDRATED REACTION PRODUCT OF A MONOHYDRIC PHENOL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF PHENOL, CRESOL, XYLENOL AND CRESYLIC ACID, AND AN ALDEHYDE IN WHICH THE ALDEHYDE GROUP IS THE SOLE REACTIVE GROUP; SEPARATELY HEAT-FORMING AN UNDEHYDRATED PRIMARY REACTION PRODUCT OF A POLYHYDRIC PHENOL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF RESORCIN, CATECHOL, HYDROQUINONE, ORCIN AND PHLOROGLUCINOL, AND AN ALDEHYDE IN WHICH THE ALDEHYDE GROUP IS THE SOLE REACTIVE GROUP, MIXING SAID REACTION PRODUCTS, THE ALDEHYDE REACTANTS IN THE MIXTURE BEING IN THE RATIO TO THE TOTAL PHENOLIC CONTENTS OF THE MIXTURE TO PRODUCE A PERMANENTLY FUSIBLE RESIN, HEATING THE MIXTURE AND EFFECTING INTER-CONDENSATION OF THE PRIMARY MONOHYRIC PHENOL-ALDEHYDE CONDENSATION PRODUCT WITH THE PRIMARY POLYHYDRIC PHENOL-ALDEHYDE CONDENSATION PRODUCT AND PRODUCING A SUBSTANTIALLY HOMOGENEOUS UNDEHYDRATED LIQUID RESIN, AND DEHYDRATING AND FURTHER CONDENSING SAID LIQUID RESIN TO PRODUCE A SUBSTANTIALLY ANHYDROUS PERMANENTLY FUSIBLE COPOLYMER CONDENSATION PRODUCT. 